Apricot Sesame Thumbprints

Sesame seeds add the perfect amount of savouriness to these otherwise sweet cookies. For a pretty finish, use your fingers to pinch together any cracks in the dough after you've formed the thumbprints.

Method

In large bowl, beat butter with icing sugar until fluffy; beat in vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk flour with salt; stir into butter mixture just until combined, gently kneading if necessary. Roll by 1 tbsp into balls.

Whisk egg white with 1 tsp water until frothy. Place sesame seeds in separate bowl. Using fork, dip each dough ball into egg mixture; dip into sesame seeds to coat.

Bake, 1 sheet at a time, in 350°F (180°C) oven until edges are golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool on pans for 3 minutes; transfer directly to racks to cool completely. Spoon scant 1 tsp of the jam into well of each cookie. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.)

Tip from The Test Kitchen: Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Best Maple Butter Tarts

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Make your own delectable custardy tarts instead of buying them. We've subbed in the very Canadian ingredient maple syrup for the more common corn syrup. Plus, we've included variations on the classic, with chocolate and pecans instead of raisins.

Method

Sour Cream Pastry: In bowl, whisk flour with salt. Using pastry blender, cut in butter and lard until in fine crumbs with a few larger pieces. Whisk water with sour cream; drizzle over flour mixture, tossing briskly with fork and adding more water if necessary to form ragged dough. Press into disc; wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.)

Bake in 350?F (180?C) oven until filling is set and pastry is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Run thin knife around edges to release tarts. Let cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature for up to 24 hours.)

Method

In large bowl, whisk together 5 cups of the flour, the salt and yeast. Stir in warm water until well combined; cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm draft-free place until doubled in size, about 12 hours. (Make-ahead: Let rise for up to 18 hours.)

Sprinkle work surface with 1/3 cup of the remaining flour. Scrape dough onto work surface; sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the remaining flour. Cover with tea towel. Let stand for 15 minutes.

The Ultimate Pizza Dough

Our foolproof dough delivers the most amazing pizza crust you'll ever taste. The long rising time results in a lovely texture and extra-rich flavour. It's so easy to make and can be stretched into either a regular or thin-crust pizza. You'll never want to order in again!

Ingredients

Nutritional facts
per each of 8 slices of 12-inch (30 cm) regular crust ( without toppings) : about

Fibre1 g

Sodium144 mg

Sugarstrace

Protein4 g

Calories125.0

Total fat2 g

Potassium40 mg

Cholesterol0 mg

Saturated fattrace

Total carbohydrate23 g

%RDI

Iron11.0

Fibre0.0

Folate23.0

Sodium0.0

Sugars0.0

Calcium1.0

Protein0.0

Calories0.0

Total fat0.0

Vitamin A0.0

Vitamin C0.0

Potassium0.0

Cholesterol0.0

Saturated fat0.0

Total carbohydrate0.0

Method

In large bowl, whisk together 1-1/2 cups of the flour, yeast and salt. Using wooden spoon, stir in warm water and olive oil until ragged dough forms.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead dough, adding as much of the remaining flour, a little at a time, as needed to make smooth, elastic dough (slightly tacky to the touch, but won't stick to hands or work surface), about 8 minutes.

Transfer to greased bowl; turn dough to grease all over. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24 hours. (Orlet rise in warm, draft-free place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.)